Recent advancements in technology have transformed the ways in which people orient themselves and navigate from place to place, i.e., wayfinding. For instance, technologies such as global positioning system (GPS)-enabled devices and map applications have made outdoor wayfinding more convenient and accurate.
However, fewer advancements have been made in technology relating to wayfinding within a facility, i.e., facility wayfinding. Typically, static physical signs and directories are used for wayfinding within facilities. Such signs and directories are expensive to update and provide limited wayfinding information.
In attempts to improve facility wayfinding, some facilities have developed stand-alone mobile wayfinding applications. However, these mobile wayfinding applications are, generally, facility-specific. Unfortunately, visitors to a facility are often reluctant to install a mobile wayfinding application useful for only that facility on their mobile devices, e.g., mobile phones. Furthermore, these mobile wayfinding applications, generally, rely on signal-based localization of the mobile device for routing. Unfortunately, localization based on signals, e.g., GPS or WiFi signals, may be inaccurate or may require an additional localization system.
Other facilities have installed stand-alone interactive public display devices, i.e., digital directories. However, these interactive public display devices are fixed at a particular location within the facility. Once visitors leave that location, they must rely on their memory or, in some instances, a printout to recall wayfinding information provided by the interactive public display device.
A facility wayfinding system including both a mobile wayfinding application and an interactive public display device is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0022468 to Muster et al., published on Jan. 27, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference. The mobile wayfinding application, like previous stand-alone mobile wayfinding applications, relies on signal-based localization of the mobile device for routing. Furthermore, the interactive public display device, like previous interactive public display devices, relies on printouts to provide visitors with a record of wayfinding information. Therefore, an improved facility wayfinding system is desirable.